Saf-t-jet

ABSTRACT

This patent describes a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a cylindrical member having one closed end and a needle extending outwardly from said cylindrical member with a sharpened end point, a thin long fluid passage communicating with said needle and extending inwardly into said cylindrical member with a sharpened inner end terminating within the walls of said cylindrical member, lateral support means between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but non-operating position and upon further interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial.

United 9 States Patent 1 Ogle SAF-T-JET [75] Inventor: Robert Walter Ogle, Newport Beach,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: IMS Limited, South El Monte, Calif.

[22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 223,930

[52] U.S. Cl. 128/220, 128/22] [51] Int. Cl. A6lm 5/00, A61m 5/18 [58] Field of Search 128/220, 215, 218 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,659,602 5/1972 Gloyd [28/220 3,378,008 4/1968 Ogle 128/220 3,098,482 7/1963 OSullivan.. 128/220 l,833,598 ll/l93l Smith 128/220 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l,938,864 7/1969 Germany 128/220 776,404 6/1957 Great Britain. l62,ll5 3/1955 Australia 128/220 Primary ExaminerAldrich F. Medbery Att0rneyFinkelstein & Mueth June 19, 1973 [5 7] ABSTRACT This patent describes a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a cylindrical member having one closed end and a needle extending outwardly from said cylindrical member with a sharpened end point, a thin long fluid passage communicating with said needle and extending inwardly into said cylindrical member with a sharpened inner end terminating within the walls of said cylindrical member, lateral support means between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but non-operating position and upon further interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l/ v (a a SAF-T-JET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention the fluid passage within the cylindrical member which may be a conventional cannula or a plastic member is laterally supported in proximity with the sharpened inner end to prevent relative lateral movement of the fluid passage with respect to the walls of the cylindrical member. The lateral support may be so positioned as to provide a stop for the vial stopper whereby when the stopper is bottomed out against the lateral support, further rotation of the vial with respect to the injector results in the breaking of the seizure of the sealing rings on the vial stopper with the walls of the vial. This structure prevents the fluid passage from being displaced from a central or concentric relationship with respect to the cylindrical member. The importance of maintaining this concentric relationship resides in the fact that an eccentric relationship can result in the sharpened inner end of the fluid passage engaging the plug in the vial in such a way as to core or remove a rubber chip from the plug, which rubber chip can subsequently plug the fluid passage or, more seriously, pass through the fluid passage along with the medicament into the patient.

In vial injectors, it has been recognized by the present inventor that the rings on the vial stopper tend to take a seizure to the walls of the vial during storage. This condition interferes with the smooth and easy operation of the device at the time of use. US. Pat. No. 3,376,866 discloses a solution to this problem in the form of interlocking teeth on the vial stopper and the end of the thrust portion. The present invention involves a new and altogether different approach to this problem while at the same time providing other advantages hereinafter described.

Still another advantage provided by the present invention is the elimination of the need of a metal needle. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a translucent fluid passage is provided in lieu of a needle within the cylindrical member. This passage enables the nurse to observe by simple aspiration whether tne end-of the outwardly extending needle has been inserted in the vein of the patient. As is known to those skilled in the art, most injectable medication is intended for either intramuscular or intravenous injection. To establish whether the device has been appropriately inserted, it is conventional to aspirate and watch for the appearance of blood in the vial or sy-- ringe. The opaque needle involves the possibility that a substantial amount of blood will be aspirated. This problem is overcome in the present invention since the presence of blood as evidencing injection in the vein can be immediately detected in the translucent end fluid passage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the present invention comprises a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging thewalls of said vial with a press lit, a cylindrical member having one closed end and a needle extending outwardly from said cylindrical member with a sharpened end point, a thin long fluid passage communicating with said needle and extending inwardly into said cylindrical member with a sharpened inner end terminating within the walls of said cylindrical member, lateral support means be tween said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but non-operating position and upon further interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial or to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial.

It is an object of the present invention to provide several improvements in the art of medicament injectors.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new means for breaking the seizure of the sealing rings of the vial stopper on the walls of the vial.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel means for the maintaining of the fluid passage within the barrel of a medicament injector in concentric relationship with respect to the walls of the barrel.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the more detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning to the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of this invention in assembled condition with the vial bottomed out against the lateral support. In this position, the seizure is broken by further relative rotational movement of the vial with respect to the injector.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of another embodiment of the injector of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the invention wherein the inner needle has been replaced by a plastic fluid passage within the barrel.

Turning to FIG. 1 in detail, the via] 10 is provided with a rubber stopper plug 12 having sealing rings 14 which seal on the inside of said vial and is slidable therein in piston-like fashion. The stopper 12 has a thin central diaphragm portion 16 concentrically disposed therein. The stopper 12 also has a projection 18 thereon having a plurality of male threads 20.

The cylindrical member 22 has a closed end 24 and a needle 26 extending outwardly from the cylindrical member with a sharpened end point 28.

The cylindrical member 22 is provided with female threads 30 for engagement with threads 20.

Around the cylindrical member 22, there is preferably provided barrel 32 which has at its open end external gripping means 34.

The cannula or needle 26 has a sharpened end 36 which terminates within the walls of the cylindrical member 22. The cannula is externally supported and held by disk 38 through which the cannula passes. The disk 38 is held around its periphery by the ledge 40 on the inside of cylindrical member 22. The disk 38 may be held by a press fit, glued in place or spun-welded to the cylindrical member 22.

As has been previously described, the disk 38 can be disposed within the cylindrical member 22 so that it acts as a stop for the projection 18, although the invention is not limited to this configuration. In this event, the projection 18 when made up with the threads 30 on cylindrical member 22 bottoms out on the disk 38. This prevents the further advance of stopper 12 into the cylindrical member 22.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the needle 26 may have a threaded fitting 42 at the upper end which engages the Luer taper boss 44 and the internally threaded Luer skirt 46 whereby the needle is securely held to the cylindrical member 22.

The fluid passage may be a plastic member 48, as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the disk 50 can be formed integrally with the fluid passage. The plastic member 48 in the embodiment illustrated has a tapered end 52 which is snugly received in the tapered hole 54 and held there by a press fit or a glued point. Otherwise, the embodiment of FIG. 3 is assembled and used in the same manner as the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the lateral disk-like support 38 in proximity to the sharpened end of the fluid passage prevents misalignment of the fluid passage in the cylindrical member 22 both in assembly and subsequent thereto. As a consequence, the sharpened end 36 is so disposed that it will pierce the diaphragm portion 16 when the threads are made up. Thus, there is no coring or shipping of rubber such as might occur if the sharpened end were to pierce the heavier section of the rubber stopper.

Having fully described the invention, it is intended that it be limited only by the lawful scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a hollow cylindrical member having an inner wall, an upper end and one closed lower end, a thin long fluid passage including sharp needle ends, said passage extending inwardly from said cylindrical member with the sharpended inner end terminating within the walls adjacent the upper end of said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded rotating and interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon threadably interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but nonoperating position and upon further threadable interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial or to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial; the improvement including lateral support means provided adjacent said upper wall end between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said fluid passage is translucent.

3. The injector of claim 1 wherein the lateral support means surrounds said thin long fluid passage.

4. The injector of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage is a hollow length of plastic.

5. The injector of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage is a metal needle.

6. The injector of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member is provided with an external surrounding barrel.

7. The injector of claim 6 wherein the barrel has externally extending gripping means.

8. The injector of claim 6 wherein the closed end of said cylindrical member is provided with a Luer skirt and said needle has external projections which engage said skirt.

9. In a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a hollow cylindrical member having an inner wall, an upper end and one closed lower end, a thin long fluid passage including sharp needle ends, said passage extending inwardly from said cylindrical member with the sharpended inner end terminating within the walls adjacent the upper end of said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded rotating and interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon threadably interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but nonoperating position and upon further threadable interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial or to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial; the improvement including lateral support means provided adjacent said upper wall end between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member and said plug bottoms out against said lateral support means when said threads are made up to allow further relative rotational force between said vial and said cylindrical member to break the seizure of the plug to the walls of the vial. 

1. In a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a hollow cylindrical member having an inner wall, an upper end and one closed lower end, a thin long fluid passage including sharp needle ends, said passage extending inwardly from said cylindrical member with the sharpended inner end terminating within the walls adjacent the upper end of said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded rotating and interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon threadably interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but non-operating position and upon further threadable interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial or to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial; the improvement including lateral support means provided adjacent said upper wall end between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said fluid passage is translucent.
 3. The injector of claim 1 wherein the lateral support means surrounds said thin long fluid passage.
 4. The injector of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage is a hollow length Of plastic.
 5. The injector of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage is a metal needle.
 6. The injector of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member is provided with an external surrounding barrel.
 7. The injector of claim 6 wherein the barrel has externally extending gripping means.
 8. The injector of claim 6 wherein the closed end of said cylindrical member is provided with a Luer skirt and said needle has external projections which engage said skirt.
 9. In a medicament injector comprising a cylindrical vial having an open end and a closed end, a resilient plug inserted at least partially through said open end engaging the walls of said vial with a press fit, a hollow cylindrical member having an inner wall, an upper end and one closed lower end, a thin long fluid passage including sharp needle ends, said passage extending inwardly from said cylindrical member with the sharpended inner end terminating within the walls adjacent the upper end of said cylindrical member, cooperating threaded rotating and interlocking means on said cylindrical member and said plug, whereby upon threadably interlocking the said plug with the said cylindrical member said vial is first held in an assembled but non-operating position and upon further threadable interlocking of said plug with said cylindrical member said plug is pierced by said elongated fluid passage and said passage communicates with said vial and said plug is locked securely to said cylindrical member to permit aspiration upon withdrawal of said vial or to permit expulsion of the contents of said vial upon exertion of pressure on said vial; the improvement including lateral support means provided adjacent said upper wall end between said walls of said cylindrical member and said thin long fluid passage in proximity to said sharpened inner end to maintain said passage essentially concentric with respect to said cylindrical member and said plug bottoms out against said lateral support means when said threads are made up to allow further relative rotational force between said vial and said cylindrical member to break the seizure of the plug to the walls of the vial. 